


Build a Bridge

by everydayescapeartist



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Prompts in Panem, everlark, everlark fanfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 01:15:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5355464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everydayescapeartist/pseuds/everydayescapeartist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a blink, Katniss Everdeen's life is about to change.  She finds herself caught up in a new Capitol program and if that in itself isn't awful enough, the fact that she is caught up directly in Peeta Mellark's life certainly is.  Written for Prompts in Panem Farewell Tour Day 5 Prompt Peach Blossom - "I am your captive."  Captured and unable or unwilling to escape, held in the grip of a strong emotion</p>
            </blockquote>





	Build a Bridge

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Don't get me wrong. I was entirely tempted to tie one or both members of Everlark up and have them do naughty things to one another. I may yet do so in a future story. But I took a different direction with this one. This will be a multi-chapter fic. Hope it captures your interest. ;-) Of note, one definition for capture is "to attract and hold."
> 
> Warning: Brief allusion to situations of non consent.

She sat at the small, round wooden table feeling numb, staring at the faces around her, the faces deciding a fate she had no say in. They weren't paying her any attention, not that she had anything left to say to them. She had said plenty before, till she was blue in the face...or maybe a mix of red and purple was more accurate.  Katniss Everdeen dug her nails into her legs beneath the table. She may have become resigned to this situation but she was still not going to be false about it.  She wasn't happy.  Neither was she grateful.  And she wasn't going to fake being either. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement again. The adults at the table might not have been watching her but someone was.  He was.  Argh.  He was probably loving this. Mr. Charitable, himself.  She knew deep down it probably wasn't right to think that way about the boy who had likely saved her life and that of her family's. She would probably always owe him...but she hated that, hated owing anyone, hated that she was in a position to need to owe anyone and that he and his family were in a position to be oweable.  No, you couldn't change where you were born and to whom and you couldn't stop life from shitting all over you either, apparently, but it still bothered the hell out of her that she was now tied to them.  The Mellarks. And him, especially...Peeta Mellark.  

She knew he pitied her...or thought she was some kind of circus freak...or was biding his time before he could do...something.  Or maybe some combination of the three.  Today wasn't the first time she'd felt his eyes on her. She'd noticed it for years...since that rainy day.  

It had been a few months after her father had been killed in a mine explosion.  Her mother had completely shut down and Katniss had been left responsible for her small family:  her younger sister Prim and the woman who had become a fixture in the rocking chair before the hearth.  The chair she had once used to comfort her daughters had become a place she could only comfort herself.  Those days were so dark, so horrible and lonely. If she hadn't had Prim to give her a sense of purpose and to remind her that the world still held something lovable, she probably could have just disappeared into despair herself. Except she wouldn't have chosen a rocking chair -- she probably would have gone out into the woods and just let herself fade away.  Instead, she had found herself outside the bakery, slumped down and defeated under the old apple tree across from it, with the rain coming down in sheets around her.  It was the lowest she had ever felt, both physically and mentally.  She had known she was starving and her family was starving and there had been nothing left that she could do about it. She hadn't even been able to successfully steal from the bakery's garbage cans. And she'd been caught trying to, which made her a would-be thief.  A "seam rat" as the woman with the sour face she would now have to see every day had called her.  There wasn't enough rain in the whole country to wash away the shame she had felt. Still, she would have faced the stockades or worse if it had meant her sister could reach her next birthday.  

She wondered if this was the "worse," though she had no way of knowing if what happened five years ago was tied to what was being finalized today.  For anyone else at least. The two were tied together for her...maybe for him too.  She remembered the fear in his eyes, the seeming indecision, and the sadness and concern as he had thrown her those loaves of bread. She had almost been too stunned to move but the picture in her head of her sister wasting away to nothing had given her the strength she needed to collect the bread and take it home. 

After that day, she had gotten stronger.  Her mother and sister had too.  She had known it wouldn't last though and that's when she'd spotted the dandelion that had triggered in her a new dose of hope.  She'd remembered the things her father had taught her. What had stood out most to her before as just pleasant memories of quality time with her dad had then registered in her brain as valuable teachings. She knew how she could keep her family alive.  That dandelion had been just what she'd needed to see, especially since she'd just turned away from the boy she didn't know how to deal with, the one with the curly blond locks who had tossed her the bread. 

His locks were still blond and the curls were still there but were less pronounced.  If anything, his hair looked more wavy now, a bit longer and more unruly.  As her eyes flitted to him now against her will, she saw some strands fall over his eyes as he quickly looked down, focusing on the ledger he appeared to be writing in, seemingly taking inventory of their currently displayed products. Katniss looked down at the table in front of her, noticing something she hadn't before. It was very small, easy enough to miss but she saw it now. There, carved lightly into the table's outer rim, was a small bow with an arrow poised in it. She blinked, thinking her distressed mind might just be playing tricks on her.  What in the world was that doing there?  She dared to raise her gaze and see if anyone else was watching her and spying this small indentation.  And then she caught it, that flash of blue from the direction of the bakery counter. Before she could stop herself, she looked over and wished she hadn't...because she did not know what to make of the intensity of the blue orbs that daringly met her own or the slight conspiratorial smile that graced the soft, pink lips below them.  It was her turn to look away. What did that look mean?  Had he carved the small picture?  Had he done so for her to see it?  If so, why?  

She had often, more times than she would have liked, wondered at Peeta's motives when he'd given her the bread that had been her lifeline. From the expression on his face when he'd thrown it, she'd guessed pity was the overriding impulse.  Even so, when she'd noticed him watching her at school over the years, she'd wondered if he'd had any less thoughtful motives, if he'd eventually come to collect in some way on the debt she owed him. But he never had. As of yet anyway.  And she'd never thanked him. She'd never known if she should and she hadn't wanted to find out if he'd had any lesser intentions, especially as they'd gotten older. He seemed to be a nice, fairly popular, smart guy from what she'd seen, but she'd also seen girls from her neighborhood get caught up in the allure of seemingly nice guys of the popular and smart variety...nice guys who hadn't turned out to be so nice once they'd gotten a girl alone long enough. Katniss shuddered thinking about it...the girls who walked around crushed and fearful after. She liked to think she was smart and she was fast and stronger than most girls her age...but not strong enough to fight off the wrestling captain, who tossed heavy bags of flour (in addition to bread loaves) around on a regular basis.  And so she'd steered clear. Until now...now when he'd be all too close. 

And the bow...did it mean anything?  She was pretty sure he knew she hunted. His father had been buying her squirrels for years. Was he mocking her because she was here now...because even her ability to hunt hadn't prevented her from being back here, forced to accept on one level or another the assistance of his family?  Was he showing her that she was prey and that she'd been caught just like the many animals she'd targeted over the years?  She clenched her fists. He had another thing coming if he thought that was the case. She shot him a glare and saw what looked like confusion in his eyes. Frowning, she turned and looked out the window, deciding immediately that that was a bad idea when she saw some people staring, talking, and pointing at the group assembled at the bakery table. So, her eyes drifted back to the small carving. Maybe she was guessing incorrectly. Maybe Peeta hadn't carved it. Anyone could have. Gale could have...except that he almost never came into the actual bakery but merely made his trades at the back door.  But if he wanted her to know she wasn't alone even though she had to deal with this crappy arrangement?  But that hadn't exactly been his position the last time they'd spoken.  

She shook her head slightly to clear it.  She had no way of knowing right now and she was probably just focusing on something small like this so she didn't have to think about the larger things happening right now...like her mother signing her away like old Mr. Jessup had signed away Lady, the goat she had bought for Prim, the goat no one else had wanted. She knew it was more complicated than that but it still hurt like hell, nonetheless.  She breathed in and out with deliberate slowness, trying to calm herself. Thinking of Lady made her think of Prim.  Prim...the only reason she had not and would not take to the forest and leave it all behind. Because in being signed away, she was also ensuring Prim's future, for the next school year anyway.  That's how long the contract would be for...until she graduated and turned eighteen. After that, she'd be able to try to figure out how to care for Prim again on her own.  Until then, her mother still legally had a say and this is what she had decided would work best. She had argued it was in Katniss's best interest, that the drought and wildfires of the past year had chased most of the good game away, making her daughter's frequent forays into the woods both dangerous and fruitless. She said she had found a better way, a safer way. Katniss scoffed because the way she saw it, it had never been her mother putting her neck out there on the line anyway. But then, part of her realized this was her mother trying to do the best she could manage. Katniss told that part to shut up.  Understanding why her mother might do this didn't make it right in her eyes. And it didn't change the fact that as soon as all of the I's were dotted and T's were crossed, she would be stuck here, would belong--from a legal standpoint anyway--to the Mellarks.

...

Despite her anger at her mother, she still felt sick to her stomach the moment she watched her walk out the door.  The adults--her mother, Mr. And Mrs. Mellark, and Effie Trinket and Haymitch Abernathy, the Capitol and District representatives, respectively, for the new Build a Bridge foster program--had finally finished up the required paperwork to make the Mellarks Katniss's foster family for the next year.  When the program, with its sickeningly hopeful name, had been introduced last Spring on Capitol television by the new leader of Panem, President Coin, Katniss hadn't paid any heed to it.  After all, she took care of her family. Her mother would be crazy to try to pawn her off on another family. How else would she and her youngest daughter have enough to survive?  But that was before all of the harsh weather that had descended upon their district and in particular, the woods that provided so much sustenance not just for the Everdeens but by extension, through the trades Katniss made, for much of the District. An uncharacteristic drought had settled over the land for months and more recently, dangerous wildfires had begun to spring up, eating up sections of the forest before the fires could be contained by the Capitol hovercrafts and local ground crews. Of course the Capitol wouldn't risk its own on the ground, she had thought bitterly as she'd watched the repeated coverage and slowly seen chunks of her beloved forest ravaged. Luckily, the fires hadn't closed in enough to destroy the main spots she frequented and held dear. They had however set in motion a migration of the animals who survived.  They either moved toward Districts 13 or 11 or flew further away still.  There were some who stubbornly refused to leave though and Katniss had bagged some of these in prior weeks.  Not enough, she did admit, but she hadn't lost hope for their reproduction or the return of some animals as fall grew near. And besides, she knew her plants. There was still vegetation and there were various berries and fruits. Fish, though there were less, still swam in the lake and stream. But her mother didn't see it this way. She saw their dwindling cupboard and the extra space their clothing afforded once more. She hadn't let herself see this in the past and she seemed determined to make up for it now.  She had begun to ask around and to learn more a couple months ago.  Katniss wasn't entirely sure how everything had transpired as she had felt somewhat blindsided by the decision when her mother had announced it three weeks ago.  Three weeks to wrap her mind around this.  Three weeks to decide to stay and try it…for Prim.

What she did know was that her mother and Mr. Mellark were old friends.  Her mother had grown up as part of a merchant family as had he, but then she'd fallen in love with Katniss's father and had chosen a life with him over a life in town.  Mr. Mellark had always been nice to their family though, buying the squirrels Katniss killed, giving Prim a cookie here or there when his wife wasn't around, offering her mother a friendly wave and hello if he would chance to see her around.  Still, the other thing Katniss knew was that this new little arrangement wasn't something entirely selfless.  The Build a Bridge foster program was, per the Capitol, meant to do as its name said and build a bridge between the "more fortunate" and "less fortunate" as it was delicately put when announced.  It was to provide opportunity where there was none and it was to better Panem, or so Coin preached.  If a "more fortunate" family was willing to take on a minor from a "less fortunate" family for a predetermined amount of time, the fostering family would receive a good faith stipend as well as some undisclosed tokens of appreciation from the Capitol to be received at an annual Build a Bridge gala hosted by the President herself.  The family of the "less fortunate" would also receive Capitol assistance in the form of a stipend for the entirety of the established contract.  Contracts could be renewed if agreed upon by the original signing parties but Katniss knew she would not be subject to this because as of next summer, she would no longer be a minor.  She wanted out of this Capitol-contrived situation as soon as she possibly could be.  She didn't for one second believe this program was designed with the people in mind, at least not those in the districts.  She figured it was designed to keep the "less fortunate" in check.  Merchant families like the Mellarks tended not to question the Capitol's policies and the way the country was run.  From what she'd seen, they were okay with the status quo.  And why shouldn't they be?  It wasn't hurting them any.  But the seam rats like her, she thought bitterly, were the ones the government was wary of…because if you've got nothing to lose, you have no reason not to fight.  Discontent that is grudgingly accepted or ignorantly denied is not a threat.  Discontent that is held to tightly and then released at the right moment is most definitely a threat. It's like the initial spark to a wildfire. And like the fires in the forests that she loved, controlling a wildfire of discontent required local as well as Capitol help too. It disgusted her. She didn't want to be a pawn in this game of theirs. But now she was...and she would only play in so much as it helped her sister. 

She knew her mother knew this. She hadn't been able to say much to Katniss before she had left. She had merely given her a long concerned look and a stiff hug, telling her quietly that it would all be okay, she'd see, and that she could still come visit with them whenever she wanted so long as Mr. and Mrs. Mellark could spare her. Ah, yes, she'd thought, part of the "opportunity" factor involved in the fostering. Katniss would have the "opportunity" to learn all about the bakery business. Katniss had merely nodded woodenly and stayed silent, watching as her mother left the building. 

"Oh, my dear, this really is going to be good for you. Your new home and place of business are...quite charming," Effie, the Capitol representative had simpered through a too practiced smile. 

"Yeah, sweetheart," Haymitch had chimed in. "Being surrounded by sweets and even sweeter folk...wouldn't anyone love that?"

"Would you?" Katniss asked lowly, making a point of leaning toward him and sniffing the air in front of his mouth. "I don't think you drown yourself in much sweetness. Smells kinda rank to me." She'd seen Haymitch Abernathy's drunken ass stumble through the hob plenty of times. She didn't know much about him other than that he lived in one of the nicest areas in the district in a house appointed by the Capitol and that he didn't seem to care about a single soul other than himself, if drowning your days in alcohol counted as caring for oneself. 

Haymitch raised an eyebrow in amusement and seemed to contemplate her further for a moment before chuckling. "See you around, Sweetheart."

...

Once Effie and Haymitch departed, Katniss was left with just Mr. Mellark and Peeta.  Mrs. Mellark had disappeared as soon as the papers had been signed.  Mr. Mellark looked upon her with a kind smile, one she'd gotten used to over the years and despite herself, she felt a bit reassured.  

"Katniss, I know this isn't how you envisioned your senior year of high school.  I know you love your family very much, especially your sister. We would never try to do anything to change that or keep you ladies apart.  So, please just talk to us about whatever you need and we will just try to get through this year together, okay?"

Katniss didn't trust herself to speak, lest she either snap at him or say something that made her seem more accepting than she was, but she did offer him a quick nod.  He accepted it and spoke again, this time eyeing his youngest son for a moment.

"Thank you, Katniss.  I'm going to have Peeta show you around a bit in a minute but do you have any questions for me first?"

She thought about asking how often he wanted squirrels now but decided against it. She figured she'd best feel things out first.  She didn't know if they still expected her to hunt or felt the opposite and would try to forbid her from it, or how successful she'd be right now anyway. She partly wished she had a good neutral question she could use to stall since she really didn't look forward to getting the tour from Peeta, but she didn't so she shook her head "no" and waited for the inevitable.

"Okay.  Well, if you think of any at any time, just ask." He turned to his son, who had observed this brief conversation quietly.  "Today's inventory completed?" he asked and Peeta gave a nod of affirmation. "Good.  Please show Katniss her room and the rest of the house before dinner."

"Yes, dad," Peeta said compliantly, coming around from behind the counter.

Katniss gave one last glance out the front window of the bakery, seeing that the earlier onlookers had since continued about their business and were no longer watching her life change before them like the latest episode of a Capitol soap opera.  She heard his throat clearing next to her and gritted her teeth. "Um, this way," she heard him say. She waited until she heard him shift his weight and start to walk away before steeling herself and turning to follow him. If Peeta Mellark had any shifty ideas about what this living arrangement could mean, she would set him straight faster than he could toss a loaf of bread.


End file.
